Obama nominates new head of Joint Chiefs

Tuesday

May 31, 2011 at 12:01 AMMay 31, 2011 at 10:44 AM

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama nominated Army Gen. Martin Dempsey as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and promoted two other senior military leaders yesterday, completing an overhaul of his national security team.

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama nominated Army Gen. Martin Dempsey as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and promoted two other senior military leaders yesterday, completing an overhaul of his national security team.

Dempsey, who served two war tours as a commander in Iraq, would succeed Adm. Mike Mullen.

To fill the Dempsey’s vacancy as Army chief of staff, Obama said he would appoint Gen. Ray Odierno, another veteran four-star commander from Iraq. Obama also named Adm. James “Sandy” Winnefeld Jr., head of the military’s Northern Command, to take over as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs.